SPECIFIER NEWSLETTER - ISSUE 6

What makes a high quality building? The style of architecture? The feel of the internal finishes? Or the underlying building performance?

An argument could be made for any of those three things individually, or how they all interact in combination. A strong argument can be made that the highest quality buildings deliver energy efficiency and thermal comfort, with good indoor air quality and acoustic comfort as well.

The experience and knowledge required to routinely deliver high quality, high performance buildings exists – and a wealth of it is available for anybody to take advantage of. That ‘s what this month’s issue is about.

Feedback and suggestions are always welcome by email, or reach us via the LinkedIn button at the bottom of the newsletter.

Demystifying Standards

Architects and specifiers are often told that they need to know all about standards and codes of practice. But many standards are big documents with a hefty price tag, meaning they are not always accessible or digestible. Our blog post series is demystifying some of those standards.

What do architects need to know about BS EN ISO 6946?

There are multiple facets to building performance, but the starting point for many is the U-values that different building elements have to achieve to keep thermal transmittance low. How are U-values calculated? Read our blog post to learn everything you need to know about the BS EN ISO 6946 standard.

Design Resources

We’ve never had the pleasure of working on a project with the team at Greengauge Building Energy Consultants, but their newsletter is one we always look out for in our inbox. Each month The Heat of the Moment features Greengauge’s own detailed and authoritative construction-related insights, alongside interesting bits and pieces that have caught the attention of the team. Subscribe to the newsletter at the Greengauge website.

For designers looking to gain a better understanding of energy efficient buildings or to learn more about the Passivhaus standard, the Passivhaus in Plain English blog archive is an ideal place to start. As the name of the blog suggests, architect and Passive House Designer, Elrond Burrell, spent several years posting about building performance in a way that is accessible to all readers.

Getting More From Polyfoam XPS

What is XPS insulation?
How does it perform compared to other common insulation types?
What makes it the ideal, robust choice for insulating ground floors?

Our CPD presentation, accredited by the CPD Certification Service, answers all of these questions and more in just fifteen minutes of your time. View the session online and claim your CPD certificate today.

What Caught Our Eye This Month ?

Young Indian designer transforms building energy modelling (via CIAT)
World’s first 3D-printed steel footbridge and digital twin completed (via BIM +)

Thanks for reading this issue of The Build Up by Polyfoam XPS. To receive the new issue every month SUBSCRIBE